The use of computers, robotics, and imaging to aid orthopedic surgery is well known in the art. There has been a great deal of study and development of computer-aided navigation and robotics systems used to guide surgical procedures. For example, a precision freehand sculptor employs a robotic surgery system to assist the surgeon in accurately cutting a bone into a desired shape. In interventions such as total hip replacement, computer-aided surgery techniques have been used to improve the accuracy and reliability of the surgery. Orthopedic surgery guided by images has also been found useful in preplanning and guiding the correct anatomical position of displaced bone fragments in fractures, allowing a good fixation by osteosynthesis.
Dysfunctional joints such as hips or knees may require surgical treatment in case of arthritis, avascular necrosis, or other debilitating pathological conditions. Joint resurfacing arthroplasty is a joint replacement procedure where a portion of the joint tissue, such as an articulation surface, is replaced by a resurfacing prosthesis. Joint resurfacing arthroplasty has been found to be a viable alternative to the traditional total joint replacement, such as total knee or total hip replacement, in certain patients particularly younger and active patients with relatively strong bones. As an example, hip resurfacing arthroplasty involves replacing worn cartilage and damaged bone tissue in the acetabulum with a cup-shaped prosthesis liner in the acetabulum. The femoral head can be trimmed and reshaped, and a femoral prosthesis cap can be permanently affixed to the trimmed femoral head. The prosthesis capped femoral head and the acetabular cup can then be reconnected to restore the function of the hip joint.